Concerts are good for you.
If you love music, you know how a great concert can improve your mood. “Music’s the medicine of the mind,” as John A. Logan, a 19th century political figure who served as a general for the Union in the Civil War, famously said. The same holds true today, as an array of research shows. Whether the artist is Beyoncé, Taylor Swift or Bruce Springsteen, attending a concert can provide these benefits to your mind and body:
Stress reduction
Attending a musical performance decreases the release of cortisol and other stress hormones, according to a study by researchers from Imperial College London published in February in the journal Public Health. The researchers found the cortisol levels of 117 study participants dropped significantly after attending a concert by composer Eric Whitacre, who performs chorale, wind ensemble and orchestral music. “The physiologic result [of attending a concert] is a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate,” says Dr. Nirav N. Mehta, a cardiologist at Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia, who was not involved in the study.
Pain relief
Studies have shown that listening to music before, during and after surgery has an analgesic effect on patients. The same holds true for people who attend concerts, says Dr. Steven Eisenberg, an oncologist, hematologist and internal medicine specialist based near San Diego. When you’re excited at a concert, your brain releases endorphins, neurotransmitters that block pain. “Listening to the music you love can increase your pain threshold,” says Eisenberg, who is known as “The Singing Doctor” because he writes songs for people living with cancer.
A sense of connection and community
Making the effort to get to a concert and enjoying the music with thousands of other people is a positive, communal event that makes you feel connected to other people, which is good for your mental outlook and longevity, Eisenberg says. “You’re with your tribe, and you did what you had to in order to get there — whether it was lining up a babysitter, paying exorbitant ticket prices or fighting traffic,” Eisenberg says. “You feel better if you are connected to other people, including people at a concert.”
An opportunity to reflect on your life
Listening to a favorite band or singer perform specific tunes can take you back to the time in your life when you first heard those songs, which helps you relive joy, innocence, lust, disappointment, sadness, regret or fury from that period, says Thomas M. Beaudoin, an associate professor of religion at Fordham University who’s written several books on music and religion. “It’s an opportunity to revisit something inside of you and think about where you are with that [emotion] now,” Beaudoin says. “It’s almost like what you’d do in therapy.”
Good exercise
Between walking to and from the concert venue, jumping up and down during the show and maybe even dancing to one of your favorite tunes, you might exercise as much as if you’d spent 30 minutes on a treadmill. “You may be moving half the time you’re at a concert,” Eisenberg says. “You’re getting in shape and not even realizing it.” And your diaphragm gets a workout when you cheer or sing even if you lose your voice, Eisenberg adds — though fans should stop singing or cheering if their throat feels strained.
A sense of well-being
People who regularly attend musical performances have a higher feeling of well-being than those who don’t, according to a study by researchers at Deakin University in Australia published in July 2016 in Sage Journals. The researchers interviewed 1,000 people to gain insight into the relationship between their engagement with music and sense of well-being. “The findings revealed that engaging with music by dancing or attending musical events was associated with a higher [sense of well-being] than for those who did not engage with music in these forms,” the study says.
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6 Reasons Going to Concerts Is Good for Your Health originally appeared on usnews.com
